Alcohol Awareness Week 2020
16-22 November 2020
We’re taking part in #AlcoholAwarenessWeek which is all about the link between alcohol and mental health. It’s all too easy for our drinking to creep up, particularly at times like this. Find ways to drink more healthily and look after your mental health: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/alcohol-awareness-week-1
When things get tough, alcohol is often the first thing we turn to try to handle stress, anxiety and depression. But over time drinking in this way can leave us feeling worse. Find out why: https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-and-mental-health
Mental Health and Suicide Prevention - Movember
November 2020
“What’s happening now is impacting us all in different ways. Sometimes it’s hard to know what to do, where to start or what to say. As we push through this together, we hope we can empower people to connect with others who are struggling and find the help they need now.
For more information on how to get help click on the link - https://uk.movember.com/mens-health/get-support
Going it alone this fireworks night?
November 5th
Celebrations without the risk
Principle - COVID-19 Trials
COVID-19 has affected the lives of everybody within the UK and the rest of the world. Finding safe and effective treatments has been the drive of researchers at the University of Oxford and right now, you have an opportunity to help. PRINCIPLE is a national priority trial to find treatments for COVID-19. We are looking for volunteers aged 65 or over, OR aged between 50 and 64 with an underlying health condition.
To be eligible to take part, you must be unwell with Covid-19 symptoms, and have had them for less than 14 days. No face to face visits are needed.
Please help us fight COVID-19 by visiting our website www.principletrial.org
Quit smoking this Stoptober
1-31st October 2020
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you'll ever do for your health.
When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to repair and you'll be able to breathe easier. There are lots of other benefits too - and they start almost immediately.
It's never too late to quit, so join in this Stoptober. Let's do this!
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you'll ever do for your health.
When you stop, you give your lungs the chance to repair and you'll be able to breathe easier. There are lots of other benefits too - and they start almost immediately.
It's never too late to quit, so join in this Stoptober. Let's do this!
Hypoglycaemia Awareness Week
5th-11th October 2020
Hypos can be common in people living with insulin- or sulphonylurea-treated diabetes.
They are a nuisance at best, but are often unpleasant or frightening to experience and can even be dangerous, if left untreated.
For more information visit hypoawarenessweek.com/
MS Awareness Week
23rd-27th April
Multiple sclerosis, often abbreviated to MS, is a neurological condition that affects the central nervous system (the nerves in the brain and spinal cord). The first signs of multiple sclerosis are different for each person and correspond to the area(s) of their brain and/or spinal cord which have been affected.
There is a wide range of possible symptoms but most people experience only a small number around the time of diagnosis and won't go on to experience them all. Some of the most common first symptoms are fatigue (a kind of exhaustion which is out of all proportion to the task undertaken), stumbling more than before, unusual feelings in the skin (such as pins and needles or numbness), slowed thinking or problems with eyesight. There are other symptoms of MS but these are less commonly experienced early in the course of the condition.
All of these early symptoms can also be symptoms of other conditions. If you are worried that you may have warning signs of MS, it is important to consult a health professional so that you can get the correct diagnosis.
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
1-30th April
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer. Every year over 41,000 people are diagnosed with the disease. However, it is treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early.
Bowel cancer screening
If you are aged 60-74 and registered with your GP you will receive an NHS screening test in the post every two years. Screening can detect tiny amounts of blood in poo, which can’t normally be seen. Bowel cancer screening could save your life. For more information call the bowel screening helpline: 0800 707 6060
You are more at risk of getting bowel cancer if you have one or more of the following risk factors:
- Are 50 or over – the risk of bowel cancer increases with age, but it can affect people of any age
- A strong family history of bowel cancer
- A history of non-cancerous growths (polyps) in your bowel
- Longstanding inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis
- Type 2 diabetes
- An unhealthy lifestyle – your diet, drinking alcohol, smoking and not being physically active can all increase your risk
Having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will definitely get bowel cancer. Equally, if you don’t have any risk factors, it doesn’t mean you won’t get bowel cancer.
Symptoms to look out for:
- Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
- A change in your bowel habit lasting three weeks or more
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
- A pain or lump in your tummy
- Unexplained weight loss
Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms. But if you have one or more of these, or if things just don’t feel right, visit your GP.
Find out more at www.bowelcanceruk.org.uk
Nutrition & Hydration Week
12-18th March
World Salt Awareness Week
12-18th March
Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) is a group concerned with salt and its effects on health. The 19th National Salt Awareness Week will take place Monday 12th - Sunday 18th March and this year will be focusing on families!
Many people are aware that eating too much salt is bad for their health, but think that it’s only a cause for concern in our later years. This isn’t true, as eating too much salt during childhood increases blood pressure which then tracks into adulthood and later life, increasing the risk of strokes and heart attacks. That’s why it’s so important to reduce salt intake across all ages. By doing so we can reduce our risk of heart disease and avoid the unnecessary and extortionate healthcare costs associated with treatment. Over the course of the week CASH will be reminding people about the harmful effects of eating too much salt and highlighting how the salt present in everyday foods can really add up. In the UK we currently eat more salt than is recommended, and a big part of that is due to the high amounts hidden in the food we buy. That’s why CASH are calling for more action from the food industry and out of home sector to reduce the amount they add, and to provide us with healthier choices lower in salt. They also encourage the public to play their part and make simple changes to their eating and purchasing habits. Through this collaborative effort CASH hope to improve the nation’s diet, and in doing so save many more lives and millions of pounds in health care costs.
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
1st - 31st March
Every year 7,300 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. The risk of developing ovarian cancer in the course of their lifetime for the general population of women is two per cent. However, some women have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. All women should be aware of the risk factors and of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.
Some symptoms of ovarian cancer are particularly significant:
• persistent bloating
• pain in the pelvis or abdomen
• difficulty eating, or feeling full quickly
• needing to wee more urgently or often than usual
For more information please visit https://www.targetovariancancer.org.uk/ovarian-cancer-information-and-support
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week
Saturday 24th February 2018 - Friday 1st March 2018
Eating disorder sufferers face an average wait of three and a half years for specialist treatment. During that time, by far the longest gap came between symptoms first emerging and people recognising these as an eating disorder. Almost as much time went by between this realisation and people taking the step to ask for help from their GP. By raising awareness of the early signs, and sh...owing that sufferers need and deserve help, you can make a real difference.
Dig out your brightest, boldest socks this Eating Disorders Awareness Week and help Beat provide support, tackle barriers to desperately needed treatment, and challenge the stigma. By wearing your socks at your workplace, school, or university and donating to Beat, you play a vital role in ending pain and suffering. It’s that simple.
Visit https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/sock-it-to-eating-di… for more information.